Page 44 of Dozer

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“She’s not dead. Not this time. She and Romeo were together.”

My heartbeat hiccupped.

“It was before you. Actually, she left for rehab the night you hooked up with Romeo at Liquid Chrome. Maybe now that Razor’s dead, she can come back and stay clean.”

I pulled into the lot, parked, and we exited the car.

“Blade wasn’t sure if he’d be able to pick me up. Can we meet after classes in the Union Center?” Hana asked.

We agreed. Levi and I went to class as Hana took off in the opposite direction.

“Kiss was serious about Romeo, but he wasn’t serious about her,” Levi said as we walked. “In case you worried.”

“I was under the impression Romeo doesn’t do serious.”

She squinted against the morning sun. “He doesn’t. But what he has with you isn’t his typical either. I can’t wrap my head around what’s happening with the three of you.”

“Me, either.”

She laughed first. Then I did.

“You wouldn’t know it now,” I said, “but I was sheltered by my family before I met Hana. I mean, my brother and his friends would let me break a few rules. But my dad can be intimidating. My dates were usually sons of his friends.”

“Heller boys are testing your wild side?”

Maybe, and I wasn’t sure if I was acing or failing the exam.

We walked into class. This time we chose seats next to each other. We opened our laptops and typed notes as the professor lectured.

“Don’t hurt him,” she said.

My fingers paused in typing.

“Dozer keeps his feelings deep inside. When he tells you he’s fine, don’t believe him. He’s never fine.”

I sat with my memories of Dozer. Feelings couldn’t always be explained. I’d glimpsed his dark thoughts. Like ice, beautiful and cold. I was drawn to him.

“Are you going to keep seeing them both?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s up to just me.” Because Dozer had let me in, let me taste his desires when he kissed me. And Romeo made me smile. He knew just how to touch me. I wanted them both.

Once classes were over, we made our way to the Union Center. I swear I was living the movie, Groundhog’s Day. Coop loitered with the Eminence Rooks football team. Hana was in the middle of the crush chatting him up.

When he saw us, he waved.

“Pipsqueak.” He said hello to me, but his gaze was locked on Levi like she was a large pepperoni pizza. In other words, he looked hungry. I’d seen him eat ten slices in ten minutes after a game. I’d have to warn him Levi was not on the menu.

“We’re having a party tomorrow night.”

“At the toolshed?” I cocked a brow, teasing him with the name any girl who wasn’t looking to sleepwith someone on the team called Coop’s crib. He and a couple guys on the team had off campus housing. Rich daddies paying top dollar for their protégés to live wet and wild, aka pussy and booze.

“The playpen, baby.”

“We’ll pass.”

“We’re going to Liquid Chrome,” Levi said. “You should meet us there.”

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